SSI is also a federal program. It has nothing to do with Texas. If you have low enough income and assets, you can get that in conjunction with SSDI. You'll be eligible for food stamps and a lot of other programs for the poor/elderly/disabled.

You will probably start getting payments before you get the letter from the judge explaining why he approved you. If you gave them your bank acct info, check there in about a month, you'll be surprised.

As for STD or LTD from your employer, the minute you start having problems with them ie, harassing phone calls, denial, cutting off benefits, you need to hire a lawyer ASAP to file an appeal for you.

The reason is that when (not if) your claim is denied, you will have run out of internal appeals and you'll have to sue them in federal court. After that point, you won't be able to add any more evidence to your file, so you need a lawyer in there early in the process getting your file ready for later.

You need an ERISA disability lawyer for this, as it falls under the federal law, ERISA, which also governs retirement.

As far as SSDI/SSI, you don't need to worry about getting cut off, unless you go back to work and start making more than the minimum amount allowed.